Band fastener



Patented May 14, 19199.

UNITEDHSTATES lli 1,712,5se F FIC E.

AUGUST IKR/ARMEE, 0F FRVIDENCE, RIDE SLANID, ASSIGNOR TU LOUIS STERN COMPANY, 0F PRVIDENCE, RHODE SLAND, A CRPQRATION 0l? RHODE ISLAND.

BAND FASTENER.

Application filed July 2,

The present invention relates to a 'fastener tor securing` the ends ol a hel t or bracelet band 1n ad]usted position.

@nooit the obgects ont the present invention is to provide a lastener 'or the purposes mentioned which shall securely hold the ends oit the band against relative movement in a direction to lengthen or loosen a belt or the like but which permits relative moti n ol2 the ends olfV the belt to bind the same Without requiring` a movement et the parts ot the fastener.

A further object oi" the present invention is to provide a fastener tor bands which shall be et neatappcarance, which are readilj,7 manufactured and eiicient in action.

In vieiv ot the above and lurther objects the present invention consists in the particu lar arrangement and combination ot parte hereafter described, and particu]arlj.T pointed out in the appended claims. 1

ln the drawing accompany/ing.;` and torniing a part of the present specification, l have illustrated a particular embodiment ot the present invention. ln the said drawing; z-

l is a vievv of a Wrist Watch, the sup porting; bands or band oit which has its ends held in adjusted relation by a Vlastener ac eordinp,` to the present invention.

Fig'. Q is a central longitudinal sectimioli1 a. view ot the fastener shown in Fig. 1, illustating the parte .in position in which the locking or v\*edrir1 roll has been Withdrawn trom contact- With the loose end ot the band to permit adjustment et its length, 2 be ine; taken on line 2-2 ot Fin. fl.

Fig. 3 is a vijevv similar to Fig. 2 but shoivg ingr the parts in position in which the wedge;` ing; roll is l'ioldino;` the band ends against motion in a direction to lengthen the band.

Fig. l is a section taken on line 4l-4l of Fing. 3.

5 is a section on line 5*-5 oit Fig. 4, the i spring bearing in Fig'. l being removed tor the purpose ot illustration.

Fi 6 is a detail perspective vview ot a haelt piece or shoe appearing' in 2l 3 and 5. Fig. 'l' is a perspective vievv olf a metal band having' flanges thereoll Jfor supporting the shoe illustrated in Fig. 6^.

Fig.` 8 is a perspective view illustrating a cover piece for inclosing the flange portion illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fis. 9 is a detail perspective vieivioi a spri 0- cap used in the device illustrated in ries and i 1927. Serial No. 203,219.

` 2 `to 5 inclusive.

Fi ll isa perspective View ot a band portion appearing in Figs. i2 to 5 inclusive entending through the buckle to be held in adjusted position therein. i

ln Wrist hands or lilac articles, it is oft advantage that the ends oi3 the band he held securely against relative motion in the direc tion ol `the length oil' the band or the like since otherwise there is danger ot the band opening and becoming lost. It is desirable, however. that a relativeinotion ot the ends oil the band in a direction to shorten the same be accomplished with as little `attention as possible; The advantage just mentioned is readily obtained in the embodiment et the present invention illustrated in the drawing.

ln the drawing, l2 a wrist Watch secured to the band portionslll and 16. the other ends et which are held together by a `clamp or fastener 18 embodyingl the present invention. The watch l2 terms no part ot the present invention and the band portions lil and 16 might be fixed to the ends of a belt or other band within the present invention. rlChe band portions ll and 16 are preferably oit inet-al, the end et band lll beine: intended tecooperate with the end et' band 16 being; formed with l purposeol'` receiving the ends ot the Wedging or clamping' roll 4.

These slots 22 are inclined to lthe lace et the i band la, between the flanges 20; the ends ot theslots 22 nearest the treeend oit. hand lbeing` closer to the inner ,tace ot the band. Moreover, the band 14rand especially7 the portion thereof lying between flanges 2O is curved so 'that the band is provided. with a. lace, the concavity of which lies between the iiafnges 20.

In making a fastener accordinpgto the present invention, l. assemble the free end el hand lil and coverpiere Q4; having notches or slotted 'flanges similar to the llanne Z0 and having; the saine outline or. form as the i'ree end of the band 14.5. "Flanges 26, 26 on the cover piece 24V lie on the outside oli the flanges 20 when the parts have been assembled and the lslots 28, 28 of the cover piece 2.1i register with the slot-s 22 in flanges 20.

A back piece or shoe 30 is assembled to rest on the edges oir the anges 20, 20,"the edges sie of the shoe 30 which rest on the flanges are ing .aV flush surface for the side walls 26 of the cover piece and the top wallof the shoe 30.V

lIn assembling the parts of this device, rst the back piece 30 containing its spring 4() and channel cap Y44, is positioned over the up- 4turned side walls 2O with the projections 34 extending linto1`the notches 52 in the back piece. Next the whole is setin the cover piece 24 andthe edges of this cover piece are rolled inwardly overthe.downwardly offset flanges 36 so that these inturned edges will n lie liushwith the outer surface of this back piece and lock theA whole together.

In order to insert the roller 46 into this assembled unit an instrument is firstpassed thru the slots28 and 22 to engage the channel cap 44 Vand press it backward beyond the larger opening 54 in these members thereby7 fpermittingthey roller to be passed thru the larger openings 54 with their heads projecting beyond the outer walls 26 thereof. Then this spring withits cap is released to force the roller along the inclined slots to grip and Vbind the other part ofthe band whichv is vinserted thereunder, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Vhen it is desired to release the roll the offf set heads 50 thereotare engaged by the thumb and inger'and drawn back against the spring .pressure to disengage the band and permit them to slide apart. Y f

lVithin the Vmember 18 is a spring 40, the

'purpose of which will presently appear. One

end .of the spring 40 abuts against theV inturne'd end42 of the shoe 30, the otherend o'tsprin'g 40 being'eovered by al channel-k j shaped cap 44. Mounted .within theslots 22,-

22, v28, 28, isa. wedge roll .46thekl cap 44 previously mentioned being placed within the Y shoe'v 30 to bear against the roll 46, springv 40 vbei-ng'placedv between the abutment 42 and wedge roll'46 so as to force the rolltowards the ends oi the slots 22 nearest the free end of the band portion 14, whereby the roll may ycontact with the end of the band port-ion 16,

as illustrated in lFig. 3 when the portion 16 has been inserted between the flanges 20.

4It will be seen that the shoe 30 is arranged on the flanges in such position thatian opening 48 is left between one end of the shoe andthe free end of the band portion 14 to permit the band portions 16 to be inserted.

Moreoventhe inturned end 42 of the shoe 30 whichv acts as an abutment for the spring is also spaced from the inner face of the band member 14 so that the band end 16 may extend entirely through the fastener 18.

It will be seen that the freeA end of the band 16 is in contact with the inner concaved face of the band member 14. the wedging roll 46 bea-ring upon the inner eoncaved face of the band end 16 to force it against the concaved face of the band member 14. It has been found that the arrangement of the wedgingr roll bearing against the inner concaved face of the free end of the band member provides a very elicient gripping action against Inovement of the band in one direction and permits the band to be moved very readily in the opposite direction, the user not havingr to rerelease the roll 46 in order to move tlie band ends in a direction to tighten or slierten the band, it being impossible to lengthen the band by moving the wedging roll in the slots 22 in a direction to carry out the contact of the band 16.

In order that the wedging or clamping roll may be readily operated its ends 50 project through slots 28, 28 to the outside of the cap 24 where the ends 5() are readily accessible to the hand of the user. Moreover, the wedging roll 46 is provided with reduced portions 52, 52 at its ends which are adapted to lie in the slots 2") and 28 and be guided therein. rllhc end portions of the wedging roll 50, 50, however, are preferably of about the same size as the operating portion of the roll within the Jfastener. 18, and in order to insert the' wedging roll into the fastener after the fastener has been assembled, slots 28, 28 are of the well-known keyhole form having enlarged portions 54, 54 to permit of accession and removal of the wedging roll 46. I prefer, moreover, that the ends 50 be of ornamental character, preferably being formed with gold plated caps thereon.

I have found, moreover, that the action of the wedging roll locking the band ends together prevents motion to open thc band while permitting very ready relative Inovement in the othcrdireetion which greatly facilitates the same -if' the angle between the slots 22 and 28 are tangent to the concaved face of the members 14 and 24 at a Joint determined by the greatest radius of ille wedging roll through its point of contact when lthe band member 16 is between 2 and 15o, the angle in question being indicated at 54 in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the foregoing description is directed solely to the partienlar embodiment illustrated in the drawing, but I wish it to be understood that l may employ within the present invention all the advantages to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited solely by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A band formed in two parts one of said parts having integral flange portions adjacent one end thereof, a cover member supported by said flange portions and spaced from its band part to provide a slot to receive the free end of said other band part, a cooperating housing member having slotted side walls, said flange portions having openings aligned with said slotted side walls, and a clamp roll passing through said slots and openings to clamp said free end in said housing.

2. Ar band clamp comprising a band meinber having inturned integral slotted flanges Vadjacent one end to receive the end of another band member between them, a wedging roll mountedin th slots in said flanges, said slots being inclined to the face of said band member to bring said roll adjacent said band member and bind the inserted end thereagainst, and spring means arranged to force said roll to wedge and loch said band ends againf-st an endwaysseparating motion.

3. A band clamp eoinprising a band end,

wedging roll mounted in said slots in said flanges, said slots being inclined to the inner face of the band end, a shoe carried on said flanges, means for fastening said shoe on said flanges and a spring mounted between said shoe and said roll and arranged to force said roll against the face of the free end of a second band end lying between said flanges, said shoe having an inturned end acting as anabutnient to said spring.

5. A band end having slotted flanges thereon, a cover-piece also having slotted flanges thereon, the slots in the band flanges registering with those in the cover piece fianges, a wedging roll mounted in said slots, a shoe resting on said band flange, the edges of said cover piece flanges overlapping said shoe and holding it in place, a spring intermediate said shoe and said roll arranged to force said roll into wedging position.

6. Aband clamp comprising a curved band end having inturned slotted edge flanges, a housing inclosing said flanges having openings aligned with said slots, a wedging roll mounted in said slots and passing through said openings, and spring means for forcing said roll along said slots into'position to wedge the free end of a second band lying between said flanges against the concaved face of said curved band end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AUGUST F. KRAEMER. 

